1-to-N munitions adapter for an airborne platform

Abstract

A 1-to-N munitions adapter that includes a physical launcher interface, a physical munitions interface, and electronic control circuitry. The physical launcher interface is operable to connect the 1-to-N munitions adapter to a single munition launcher that is i) configured and arranged to carry and launch a single munition of a first type, and ii) integrated to an airborne platform. The physical munitions interface is operable to connect the 1-to-N munitions adapter to multiple munitions of a second type. The 1-N munitions adapter i) emulates a control interface of a single munition of the first type to the single munition launcher, in part by identifying the 1-to-N munitions adapter to the single munition launcher as a single munition of the first type, and ii) selectively controls the release of munitions of the second type while the airborne platform is in flight in response to signals received from the single munition launcher.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A 1-to-N munitions adapter for an airborne platform, comprising:
 a physical launcher interface that is configured and arranged to mechanically and electrically connect the 1-to-N munitions adapter to a single munition launcher that is i) configured and arranged to carry and launch a single munition of a first type, wherein the single munition of the first type has a first size and is powered by a single solid-fuel rocket engine, and ii) integrated to an airborne platform; 
 a physical munitions interface that mechanically and electrically connects the 1-to-N munitions adapter to a plurality of munitions of a second type, wherein each of the munitions of the second type have a second size, and wherein the munitions of the second type are glide weapons without rocket power; and 
 electronic control circuitry that:
 emulates a control interface of a single munition of the first type to the single munition launcher, at least in part by identifying the 1-to-N munitions adapter to the single munition launcher as a single munition of the first type, and 
 selectively controls the release of multiple ones of a plurality of munitions of the second type that are carried by the 1-to-N munitions adapter while the airborne platform is in flight in response to signals received from the single munition launcher. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The 1-to-N munitions adapter of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic control circuitry is further configured and arranged to selectively control the release of multiple ones of the munitions of the second type that are carried by the 1-to-N munitions adapter while the airborne platform is in flight at least in part by determining a specific number of munitions of the second type that are to be released by the 1-to-N munitions adapter for a specific launch command received from the single munition launcher in response to launch control signals for a single munition of the first type that are received from the single munition launcher at the time the launch command is received by the 1-to-N munitions adapter from the single munition launcher. 
     
     
       3. The 1-to-N munitions adapter of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic control circuitry is further configured and arranged to selectively control the release of multiple ones of the munitions of the second type that are carried by the 1-to-N munitions adapter while the airborne platform is in flight at least in part by determining a specific number of munitions of the second type that are to be released that is between 1 and N in response to determining which one of N discrete sets of single munition launch control signals is received by the 1-to-N munitions adapter from the single munition launcher, where each one of the N discrete sets of single munition launch control signals uniquely corresponds to a number of munitions of the second type to be released that is between 1 and N. 
     
     
       4. The 1-to-N munitions adapter of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of munitions of the second type that are carried by the 1-to-N munitions adapter consists of three munitions of the second type, and wherein the electronic control circuitry is further configured and arranged to selectively control the release of multiple ones of the munitions of the second type that are carried by the 1-to-N munitions adapter while the airborne platform is in flight at least in part by:
 releasing up to a single munition of the second type in response to detecting the receipt of a first set of single munition launch control signals from the single munition launcher at the time a launch command is received from the single munition launcher; 
 releasing up to two munitions of the second type in response to detecting the receipt of a second set of single munition launch control signals from the single munition launcher at the time the launch command is received from the single munition launcher; and 
 releasing all remaining munitions of the second type in response to detecting the receipt of a third set of launch control signals from the single munition launcher at the time the launch command is received from the single munition launcher. 
 
     
     
       5. The 1-to-N munitions adapter of  claim 4 , wherein the electronic control circuitry is further configured and arranged to load a single target location received from the single munition launcher into each one of the multiple munitions of the second type to be released in response to receipt of the launch command from the single munition launcher. 
     
     
       6. The 1-to-N munitions adapter of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic control circuitry is further configured and arranged to:
 in response to detecting that the 1-to-N munitions adapter has released at least one munition of the second type on a target, determine whether there is at least one additional munition of the second type present on the 1-to-N munitions adapter; and 
 in response to detecting that there is at least one additional munition of the second type present on the 1-to-N munitions adapter, i) reset the 1-to-N munitions adapter and ii) generate a signal that is accessible to the single munition launcher and that indicates to the single munition launcher that a single munition of the first type is available for launch. 
 
     
     
       7. The 1-to-N munitions adapter of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic control circuitry is further configured and arranged to translate a single target location received from the single munition launcher from a first location format understood by the first type of munition to a second location format that is understood by the second type of munition. 
     
     
       8. The 1-to-N munitions adapter of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic control circuitry is further configured and arranged to emulate a weapon stores management system to the plurality of munitions of the second type that are carried by the 1-to-N munitions adapter. 
     
     
       9. The 1-to-N munitions adapter of  claim 1 , wherein the single munition launcher includes multiple interface points, each one of the multiple interface points of the single munition launcher being capable of carrying and controlling a single munition of the first type, and wherein the 1-to-N munitions adapter is operable to be communicably attached to one of the individual interface points of the single munition launcher. 
     
     
       10. A method of operating a 1-to-N munitions adapter for an airborne platform, wherein the 1-to-N munitions adapter includes a physical launcher interface that is configured and arranged to mechanically and electrically connect the 1-to-N munitions adapter to a single munition launcher integrated to an airborne platform and configured and arranged to carry and launch a single munition of a first type, wherein the single munition of the first type has a first size and is powered by a single solid-fuel rocket engine, and wherein the 1-to-N munitions adapter further includes a physical munitions interface that mechanically and electrically connects the 1-to-N munitions adapter to a plurality of munitions of a second type, the method comprising:
 emulating a control interface of a single munition of the first type to the single munition launcher, at least in part by identifying the 1-to-N munitions adapter to the single munition launcher as a single munition of the first type; and 
 selectively controlling the release of multiple ones of a plurality of munitions of the second type that are carried by the 1-to-N munitions adapter while the airborne platform is in flight in response to signals received from the single munition launcher, wherein each of the munitions of the second type have a second size, and wherein the munitions of the second type are glide weapons without rocket power. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of operating a 1-to-N munitions adapter for an airborne platform as in  claim 10 , and further comprising:
 selectively controlling the release of multiple ones of the munitions of the second type that are carried by the 1-to-N munitions adapter while the airborne platform is in flight at least in part by determining a specific number of munitions that are to be released by the 1-to-N munitions adapter for a specific launch command received from the single munition launcher in response to launch control signals for a single munition of the first type that are received from the single munition launcher at the time the launch command is received by the 1-to-N munitions adapter from the single munition launcher. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of operating a 1-to-N munitions adapter for an airborne platform as in  claim 10 , and further comprising:
 selectively controlling the release of multiple ones of the munitions of the second type that are carried by the 1-to-N munitions adapter while the airborne platform is in flight at least in part by determining a specific number of munitions that are to be released that is between 1 and N in response to which one of N discrete sets of single munition launch control signals is received by the 1-to-N munitions adapter from the single munition launcher, where each one of the N discrete sets of single munition launch control signals uniquely corresponds to a number of munitions to be released that is between 1 and N. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of operating a 1-to-N munitions adapter for an airborne platform as in  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of munitions of the second type that are carried by the 1-to-N munitions adapter consists of three munitions of the second type, and wherein selectively controlling the release of multiple ones of the munitions of the second type that are carried by the 1-to-N munitions adapter while the airborne platform is in flight further comprises:
 releasing up to a single munition of the second type in response to detecting the receipt of a first set of single munition launch control signals from the single munition launcher at the time a launch command is received from the single munition launcher; 
 releasing up to two munitions of the second type in response to detecting the receipt of a second set of single munition launch control signals from the single munition launcher at the time the launch command is received from the single munition launcher; and 
 releasing all remaining munitions of the second type in response to detecting the receipt of a third set of launch control signals from the single munition launcher at the time the launch command is received from the single munition launcher. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of operating a 1-to-N munitions adapter for an airborne platform as in  claim 13 , and further comprising loading a single target location received from the single munition launcher into each one of the multiple munitions to be released in response to receipt of the launch command from the single munition launcher. 
     
     
       15. The method of operating a 1-to-N munitions adapter for an airborne platform as in  claim 10 , and further comprising:
 in response to detecting that the 1-to-N munitions adapter has released at least one munition of the second type on a target, determining whether there is at least one additional munition of the second type present on the 1-to-N munitions adapter; and 
 in response to detecting that there is at least one additional munition present on the 1-to-N munitions adapter, i) resetting the 1-to-N munitions adapter and ii) generating a signal that is accessible to the single munition launcher and that indicates to the single munition launcher that a single munition of the first type is available for launch. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of operating a 1-to-N munitions adapter for an airborne platform as in  claim 10 , and further comprising:
 translating a single target location received from the single munition launcher from a first location format understood by the first type of munition to a second location format that is understood by the second type of munition. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of operating a 1-to-N munitions adapter for an airborne platform as in  claim 10 , and further comprising:
 emulating a weapon stores management system to the plurality of munitions of the second type that are carried by the 1-to-N munitions adapter. 
 
     
     
       18. A computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable medium which stores a set of instructions operable to control the operation of a 1-to-N munitions adapter for an airborne platform, wherein the 1-to-N munitions adapter includes a physical launcher interface that is configured and arranged to mechanically and electrically connect the 1-to-N munitions adapter to a single munition launcher integrated to an airborne platform and configured and arranged to carry and launch a single munition of a first type, wherein the single munition of the first type has a first size and is powered by a single solid-fuel rocket engine, and wherein the 1-to-N munitions adapter further includes a physical munitions interface that mechanically and electrically connects the 1-to-N munitions adapter to a plurality of munitions of a second type, the set of instructions, when executed by processing circuitry, causing the processing circuitry to:
 emulate a control interface of a single munition of the first type to the single munition launcher, at least in part by identifying the 1-to-N munitions adapter to the single munition launcher as a single munition of the first type; and 
 selectively control the release of multiple ones of a plurality of munitions of the second type that are carried by the 1-to-N munitions adapter while the airborne platform is in flight in response to signals received from the single munition launcher, wherein each of the munitions of the second type have a second size, and wherein the munitions of the second type are glide weapons without rocket power.